diff --git a/youtube-dl b/youtube-dl
index e6f05c173..71a58a1d8 100755
Binary files a/youtube-dl and b/youtube-dl differ
diff --git a/youtube_dl/FileDownloader.py b/youtube_dl/FileDownloader.py
index e3131bbe6..a00a2b3b2 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/FileDownloader.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/FileDownloader.py
@@ -609,6 +609,59 @@ class FileDownloader(object):
             self.trouble(u'\nERROR: rtmpdump exited with code %d' % retval)
             return False
 
+    # Keep a copy of the main cookiejar to pass to external downloaders
+    #
+    # This seems like a stupid way of copying a cookie, but if Alex
+    # Martelli says so...
+    # http://stackoverflow.com/a/1023235/962311
+    def _keep_cookie_jar(self):
+        from youtube_dl import jar
+        import tempfile
+
+        new_filedesc, new_filename = tempfile.mkstemp()
+        new_jar = compat_cookiejar.MozillaCookieJar(new_filename)
+
+        for c in jar:
+            new_jar.set_cookie(c)
+
+            new_jar.save(new_filename)
+
+            return new_filename
+
+    def _download_with_aria2c(self, filename, url):
+        self.report_destination(filename)
+
+        # Check for aria2c first
+        try:
+            subprocess.call(['aria2c', '-h'],
+                            stdout=(file(os.path.devnull, 'w')),
+                            stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
+        except (OSError, IOError):
+            self.trouble(u'ERROR: external program requested, but "aria2c" could not be run')
+            return False
+
+        tmp_jar_name = self._keep_cookie_jar()
+
+        basic_args = ['aria2c', '-c']
+        basic_args += ['--min-split-size', '1M']
+        basic_args += ['--max-connection-per-server', '4']
+        basic_args += ['--user-agent', std_headers['User-Agent']]
+        basic_args += ['--load-cookies=' + tmp_jar_name ]
+        basic_args += ['-o', filename, url]
+
+        retval = subprocess.call(basic_args)
+
+        # The cookie jar is not necessary anymore
+        os.unlink(tmp_jar_name)
+
+
+        if retval == 0:
+            self.to_screen(u'\r[aria2c] %s bytes' % os.path.getsize(filename))
+            return True
+        else:
+            self.trouble(u'\nERROR: aria2c exited with code %d' % retval)
+            return False
+
     def _do_download(self, filename, info_dict):
         url = info_dict['url']
 
@@ -630,6 +683,8 @@ class FileDownloader(object):
         tmpfilename = self.temp_name(filename)
         stream = None
 
+        return self._download_with_aria2c(filename, url)
+
         # Do not include the Accept-Encoding header
         headers = {'Youtubedl-no-compression': 'True'}
         if 'user_agent' in info_dict:
diff --git a/youtube_dl/__init__.py b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
index c80593686..86be14b1e 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/__init__.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ jar = None
 def _real_main():
     parser, opts, args = parseOpts()
 
+    global jar
     # Open appropriate CookieJar
     if opts.cookiefile is None:
         jar = compat_cookiejar.CookieJar()